Woman charged with human trafficking denies allegations

One of two women charged with human trafficking on Wednesday denied the accusation and claimed that the media knew more about her case than she did.

By Austin L. MillerStaff writer

OCALA – One of two women charged with human trafficking on Wednesday denied the accusation and claimed that the media knew more about her case than she did.

Facing media representatives at the Marion County Jail on Wednesday afternoon, Melissa Rodriguez said she was “pretty surprised” about her arrest by law enforcement officials.

Rodriguez, 41, wearing glasses and with her hair up in a bun, was dressed in a red and white striped top and pants. She classified her involvement in the allegation as being in the wrong place at the wrong time with the wrong people.

“I didn't traffic any humans,” she said.

Rodriguez and her friend, Ysbette Jospeh, 31, were booked at the jail on Oct. 14, charged with human trafficking.

The two were under investigation by a joint task force consisting of members of the Ocala Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigations and the State Attorney's Office.

OPD detective Steve Thibodeau, a liaison agent with the FBI, noted in his report that several meetings took place between the women and a confidential source from April to October 2013. The meetings were held at several locations, mostly Ocala restaurants, and in Orlando, and one meeting was at a birthday party for Rodriguez's grandchild.

The conversations between the women and the source were about purchasing young women between the ages of 17 and 23 and, in one instance, a down payment of $1,500 for three girls was given to Rodriguez, the report states.

No women were ever transported to the confidential source, according to officials.

On Oct. 4, arrest warrants were issued and Rodriguez was arrested Oct. 9 in Orlando; Joseph was arrested the next day in Levy County. They were booked at the county jail on Oct. 14. Bond for each woman is at $50,000.

Details about the case had been sealed by court order until Tuesday, when the seal was lifted.

Talking with the media on Wednesday, Rodriguez said she accepted $1,500, but it was a loan. She said as a single mother of four girls and three boys she had financial problems and needed the cash to provide for her family. She denied the money was for a down payment for any girls.

When asked when she received the money if she knew what was for, Rodriguez declined to answer and said she would let her attorney answer that for her at a later time.

Rodriguez said she is from New York and has lived in Florida seven years. She said the saga began about a year ago when the source and a couple came to a bar where she worked, identified by her as the El Nuevo Palacio Latino night club at 2677 NW 10th St. in Ocala, and they talked and discovered she and the source are from New York.

Rodriguez said while they were at the club they were asking about other things such as if drugs were being sold from the business, about the owner and his friends, and if prostitution was being conducted from there.

She said some time later, she and the source met for breakfast at Denny's on West Silver Springs Boulevard. There, she said, he told her what he was involved in. While she would not go into details about that, she said he told her about opening up a prostitution ring in Tallahassee. She said she laughed.

At no time, she said, has she ever sold girls.

Rodriguez accused authorities of putting “bits and pieces together.” She said she was being watched, because officials later showed her surveillance photographs.

As for buying girls or knowing where to get girls, she said she doesn't know anything about that.

“I don't prostitute girls,” she said.

Rodriguez said she doesn't have any grandchildren, so there was never a birthday party for a grandchild.

Assistant State Attorney Bill Gladson, who is prosecuting the case, said Rodriguez's version of events is contrary to the evidence. With the case yet to go trial, Gladson said he didn't want to comment on any details.

Rodriguez said she is looking forward to a trial.

“I know what I did and what I didn't do,” she said.

Joseph declined to speak about the case.

Contact Austin L. Miller at 867-4118 or austin.miller@starbanner.com.

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